The Salk Institute for Biological Studies received a $6 million gift from Irwin and Joan Jacobs to endow chairs in genomics and neuroscience, the institute announced Monday.

The Renato Dulbecco Chair in Genomics is named after a founding fellow of the institute who shared a Nobel Prize in 1975 for discoveries about the interaction of tumor viruses and a cell's genetic matter.

The Roger Guillemin Chair in Neuroscience honors a former president of the institute. Guillemin won a Nobel Prize in 1977 for laying the foundation for brain hormone research.

"The creation of each chair will pay permanent tribute to the extraordinary research contributions of these two remarkable scientists," said William Brody, the Salk president. "The central roles played by Dr. Dulbecco in genomics and Dr. Guillemin in neuroscience have built a legacy of leadership and innovation that will remain imbedded in the institute now and for years to come."

Irwin Jacobs, who founded Qualcomm, is a leading San Diego philanthropist and the chairman of the board of trustees at Salk.